This group drag queens raised over $20,000 to help restore church roof
BBC.The first ‘Dragged To Church’ in December 2018 raised £2,000 (approximately $2,530). It proved such a success it’s now in its seventh year and has grown in size.
This year’s event ran for two nights to cope with demand. It had an added sense of urgency as the church’s roof suffered damage during the big Storm Darragh that hit the UK a few weeks ago.In total, last week’s 2024 event (‘Seven Draggly Sins’) raised £18,000 ($22,850) of much needed funding.Rob Keetch, aka drag performer Doctor Bev, said the event works because the queens are careful to show sensitivity to the venue and audience.
They mix humor with reverence.“We worked hard to keep the thing respectful, covering everything from O Holy Night to I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus,” he told the BBC. “There’s a running joke about who’s going to mess up first and accidentally swear.”“But when it happens, the place lights up with laughter.”Keech says the event now attracts many types of people from different faiths.“The Rev Kitto is amazing and his church is one of the most welcoming places I’ve ever been.“It’s really opened its doors to the LGBTQ community.”The annual event has caught the attention of filmmakers.
The production company co-founded by BAFTA-winning actor Eve Myles (“Keeping Faith”) wants to turn the story behind Dragged To Church into a movie.Myles told Variety back in 2020 when she first heard about the concert: “This is a story of two communities that have a history of misconceptions about each other, a history of rebuking each other.
